Customer Reviews

All Across China

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was impressed with the detailed information about all the provinces in China. It is a very simple book to start with if you are interested in knowing China. My kids loved to read it and we even played some games of the geography.

I am from China and a colleague of the author (Ellen), and I read the whole book before it got published. The only input I have is that the whole book is very educational, and includes so much information for people of almost every age, from kids to adults. I love those characters- They were fun and cute. As a matter of fact, I was really touched when Ellen told me that she was going to write a geography book about China, just like she did for Friends and Mates in Fifty States, and All Across Canada. And I was so amazed to see that the book came out in such a fantastic way, and how much time and effort was needed to put in! Thank you very much, Ellen!

I recently came across this gem of a book while I was doing research about Chinese geography due to job implications, and I have to say that despite it being technically a "children's" book I found it both informational and delightful to both read and look at. The illustrations, in particular, are fantastic, and I must say that I completely disagree with another reviewer who has indicted this book as somehow reinforcing decades-old ethnic stereotypes that no rational human being, child or not, would arrive at or be influenced by. Can we get over the hypersensitive politically-correct nonsense, folks? I would not only recommend this book to savvy parents who'd like their children to have a better understanding of the geography and culture of a country that is intricately linked to the United States both economically and politically, but to adults as well. You don't have to walk much more than 5 feet in any direction no matter where you are to find something that says "made in China" on the back of it, and this book is a fine and simple introduction to the complex diversity of a powerful nation that most Americans think of as "over there" and having nothing to do with us, when in fact it is so important to our economic livelihood that we'd be foolish not to raise our children to be better informed about it.
I'd also like to underscore that the illustrations in the book are caricatures, which by definition aren't meant to be exact replications of physical features. With regard to stereotypes, it is a simple fact that Chinese human beings look different than caucasian human beings, and no amount of political correctness in speech or illustration is going to change that. What next? An illustrated book about China where half the population has blonde hair?
This is a great little book.

This book is really wonderful! The illustrations are adorable and love that the characters all have names! The geography information on China is very educational. I highly recommend this book for both children and adults!

It seems that the current trend in children's literature (and television) is to suck all of the educational content out of the material, and present the kiddies with what's left: mindless entertainment. Let's face it, everyone enjoys little "mental fluff" sometimes -- but in this respect, kids today are getting too much of a good thing.
In a world dominated by High School Musical, Elmo, and Bratz, this book stands out as both interesting and informative. All Across China gives its youthful audience a way to learn a great deal about Chinese culture without getting bogged down in details. Even adults can learn a thing or two from this book -- I know I did! I enjoyed the illustrations, which I found to be very cute and original. The cartoons help the book to maintain its fun tone while the reader learns things about China that most folks (kids and adults alike) in the USA probably don't know. Check it out -- what you discover may surprise you, and will certainly impress you.

This book makes geography fun. The characters bring the reader across the provinces in a way that is engaging and fact filled. The illustrations are colorful and entertaining. Overall the text has a positive, upbeat tone that is easy to read. I got this book for my son but found that I learned alot from it too. A must have for parents who want their children to know about the whole world.

This book for children is a wonderful tool to help educate (in a fun way) quite a bit of information about a very complex country. I think the authors have created a beautiful tribute to their adopted daughter.

"All Across China" is a delightful and charming cartoon book about kids in China, for kids who live everywhere. In it, we see China from their diverse perspectives, and in doing so we learn about the country, in all its diversity. Of course, the kids look Asian. I have never seen any cartoons, whether print or media, in China, where the people did not appear to be Asian. Cartoons are supposed to stereotype. That's the whole idea. Neither my Chinese wife nor any of our Chinese friends even noticed that the kids looked "Chinese." What else would Chinese kids look like?
Nor are there photographs. One reviewer seemed to be put off by this. I wonder if that reviewer is disturbed when photo books don't have any cartoons.
I live in Nanning City, Guangxi, with my Chinese wife and family. They loved it.
And so do I!
Irwin Weisberg
Nanning, China

I could not believe how much information was in this book! The cartoons, maps, and poems are certainly fun to learn for kids, but I think adults will also enjoy this book about an important and interesting country of which many of us know very little.

This is a wonderful, witty, and informative book. You can read it lightly, enjoying the rhymes, and take away the general sense that China is a large, diverse, and exciting place. Or you (and your children) can use the inventive poems and art work as mnemonics and learn about each of China's provinces. This would be a lovely book for budding geographers and young people with a taste for things international.